The Northeast Regional Police Command has arrested four suspects and intercepted 118 bags of cocoa beans believed to have been destined for neighbouring Togo through the Bunkpurugu-Togo border.
The cocoa beans, weighing a total of 11,800 kilogrammes, were intercepted on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at Bunkpurugu in the North East Region.
The suspects have been identified as Dickson Asante, 35, the driver of the truck; Gideon Tab, 19, the mate; Mohammed Mumin, 22; and Ernestina Akugre, 23, who claimed ownership of the consignment.
According to the Police, the interception followed intelligence received about a Hyundai Rhino truck with registration number AS-3272-25 transporting plantain and cocoa under suspicious circumstances towards the Togo border.
Acting on the information, a Police patrol team intercepted the truck at the Bunkpurugu Police Snap Check Point and arrested the four occupants.
A subsequent search of the vehicle was conducted at the Customs Office by a joint security team comprising the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Defence Intelligence, GRA Customs Division and National Security.
The search revealed that the plantain was being used as a decoy to conceal the cocoa beans being transported in the vehicle.
The four suspects are currently in Police custody assisting with investigations.
The Police said the suspects will be put before court to face the full rigours of the law as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the attempted movement of the cocoa consignment across the border.
The interception highlights ongoing security efforts to prevent the illegal movement of Ghana’s cocoa beans across the country’s borders and protect the integrity of the cocoa trade.
CREDIT: MAVIS FANTEVI